With Pad and Pen
by TheAndiDuh
Summary: What if Anderson pulled Shep out of Mindoir? A slight UA (Universe Alteration) in which the Hastings saved Shepard from Mindoir and a certain XO takes her in as his own. Features kid!Shep, father!Anderson, and some skewered timeline.
1. Day Zero

**With Pen and Pad**  
A Mass Effect Fanfiction.  
**Summary**: A slight UA (Universe Alteration) in which the _Hastings_ saved Shepard from Mindoir, and a certain XO took her in as his own. Features kid!Shep, father!Anderson, and some skewered timeline.  
**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, Bioware, etc. I only own the idea for this story (the plot) and Shepard's personality_._ Don't sue me.**

* * *

Chapter One: Day Zero

The sky was a perfect shade of blue and clear except for the warm sun. Mindoir was full of laughter from its single human colony. The colony, housing one-hundred and fifty families, had flourished on the farming planet and was the epitome of space colonization, a pride of the humans on Earth.

"Remember: Only kill the men. We can sell the women and children for profit."

There was a grumble from the Batarians, but none openly argued. Although they would love nothing more than to kill every human in the colony, they also knew how profitable the children and women were in the slavery world. And more profits meant more money when they split the pool.  
One of the Batarians lifted his gun, peering through the scope.  
A head of long black hair was in his sights. It turned, showing the face of a small girl. She was smiling, laughing with another young girl.  
She was totally unaware of how fragile her life was.  
His finger brushed the trigger.  
He heard the leader order them to get their targets-preferring them to be the men that were currently guarding the edge of the colony-but ignored the leader's preference, wanting to take out his current target.  
After all, no one would miss one child.  
"Ready."  
There was an excited tension in the air, all of the Batarians feeling the familiar start of an adrenaline rush.  
He was practically vibrating with excitement, his finger lying on the trigger.

"Fire."

The trigger was pulled.

There was a bang and the drone crashed into the ground with a dull thud, a hole in its body. David Anderson, second in command on the SSV_ Hastings_, frowned as he picked up the drone. It was a perfect shot but he didn't feel the satisfaction that he usually did.  
He had been going after drones for only a few minutes, but had managed to take out fifteen of them; He huffed and tossed it to the trash pile, feeling his omni-tool vibrate with a message.

_Need you on deck. New mission.-M_

Anderson holstered his pistol, beginning his jog from the cargo hold to the main deck. Upon walking through the door, he immediately darted into the debrief room, where Captain Marcus waited for him.  
Lionel Marcus was a small man, his five-foot-four-inch build making him the smallest member of the SSV_ Hastings_ crew. But every inch of him was full of a fierce and fighting spirit that earned him the title of Captain. He was known for his iron-hard stare, the same stare that he was giving his XO as Anderson approached him.  
"Captain." Anderson cordially greeted. Marcus nodded.  
"Lieutenant." He replied. "We recently received an SOS from the Colony on Mindoir."  
Anderson nodded, face grim. "What did they report?"  
Marcus frowned. "That is what's odd: the report was simply that they needed assistance and then it went dead."  
"Could it be Slavers?" He asked.  
"That's what's expected. You'll be leading a ground team of four, light weapons. We did a scan of the area and we can't see any life signs, but they might have covered them up. Be cautious. You go down in twenty."

Anderson saluted. "Yes sir."

"Oh, and Anderson, stop by medbay and tell the doctor to prep for survivors. Just in case." Marcus added. Anderson nodded and began heading back down to the lower levels were medbay resided.

Walking into the medical wing, he immediately found himself chest-to-face with Dorita Arroyo, the ship's doctor.  
"David!" She greeted with her friendly smile.  
"Rita." He responded in kind.  
Rita was one of those people you couldn't dislike: she was short, only a few inches taller than their captain, and her Spanish heritage gave her a very good-looking figure, sharp tongue, and an even sharper wit.  
"What's up?" She asked, leaning against one of the beds. He rolled his shoulders.  
"We've got another mission: there's a colony that seems to be under an attack by slavers. We don't know how many people are injured, so we'll need you to be ready for anything."  
Rita's face immediately went serious. "Okay. Can do." She replied, already flitting about the room. She went back to Anderson's side, handing him a few canisters of medi-gel.  
"Just in case." She said grimly.  
He nodded, taking them gratefully.  
"Thanks."  
Anderson turned to leave, only to be stopped by Rita's arm.  
"David, keep an eye open." She ordered.  
His reply was grim.

"Always do."

* * *

Mindoir was eerily silent after the _Hastings_ left. Per usual, it had dropped off the team a little under a mile away from the colony, and the group of five was left alone, darting towards the unknown.  
"Alright, keep down." Anderson ordered as they neared the main entrance. He peered through, unable to see any type of movement. With a jerk of his hand, two of the guys moved forward and the group slowly advanced. They made it to the very center of the colony before Anderson made the call.

"There's no one here."  
His eyes looked around. There were hundreds on the ground, multiple wounds decorating their body. Almost all of them were men and they gazed at him with wide, empty eyes. Some were women, their hair messy and mouths open in a silent scream.  
Anderson's gut went cold at the sight of the few children that didn't make it. Some of them had women cradling their body, while others simply lay there with eyes closed as if they were simply sleeping.

"Anderson, report."

Marcus's order brought him out of his trance, forcing him to swallow the bile in his throat.  
"No one living is here, sir." He reported. "All we found were bodies."

"Sir! We have movement at ten o'clock!"

Anderson motioned for them to take cover, moving to the front to kneel beside some rails by the stairs. He peeked around the edge and felt his anger surge.  
A pair of Batarians stumbled out of the jungle, voices raised in argument. One of them held onto a small child by her hair, dragging her around even as she fought.  
"I told you they would leave! Mahrik told us there were Alliance ships inbound!"  
"But-"  
"We're left on this shit-storm of a planet because _you_ had to get some _girl_!"  
The one holding on the girl suddenly turned on her, yanking her in front of him.  
"Stop squirming, little bitch!" He snarled. Anderson checked to make sure that his pistol was loaded, looking up just in time to see her spit on the Batarian.

"Why you little-"

"Don't move!" Anderson yelled, popping up. His crew followed his example, all of them popping up and training their pistols on one of the two.  
The Batarians moved quick as well, the one on the left pulling out his pistol and aiming at Anderson while the other one pulled the girl in front of him.  
"Alliance military. Let her go." Anderson ordered. The one on the right laughed.  
"You believe that you can order me?" He snarled, his grip on her tightening. "I have the hostage."  
"I'll give you one more chance: Let. Her. Go."  
Anderson noticed as the girl reached down and pulled something from her waistband, tensing in preparation for whatever she was going to do. Her hand went up and suddenly went forward. He could see her fall forward, and, as she darted to the side, he opened fire on the two.  
As the two fell, there was static over the comm.

"Anderson, what happened?!"

"Two Batarians. They had a little girl; we managed to get the Batarians down but the girl ran off. I'm going to search for her now." He said, holstering his pistol. He turned to his team.

"Sweep the edges of the colony. Make sure that we don't have any other surprises. Begin documenting the scene here." He ordered. They nodded, already moving.

Anderson turned back and started walking to the location he had seen her run: to a two-story house1. He was slow as he went inside, cautiously glancing around. It seemed like there had been a happy family here.

_Had_.

A man Anderson presumed was the father lay on the inside of the door. His chest was missing and he had bled out into a large puddle. Anderson carefully walked around it, noting the slight disturbance on the edge of the pool. He reluctantly pulled out his omni-tool, snapping pictures of the carnage for the report.  
Looking up, he saw another body-a woman, probably the mother. Her chest was missing as well, a larger pool of blood on the floor. This pool was disturbed as well: it looked like someone had run through it, slipping slightly. His heart dropped at the sight of small, bloody footprints that led out to the backdoor. Putting his tool back, he followed them, reaching a small spot under the stairs where they suddenly vanished. He knelt down, looking closely at the edges of the floor tiles and noting that this tile had a piece missing on its corner.

He gave it a soft knock, hearing the hollow sound echo. Anderson quietly leaned down, peering through the hole. There was just enough light for him to see a pair of curious blue eyes gazing back at him before they disappeared. He quickly pulled off the tile, seeing the girl scamper into a corner.

"Wait." He called out. "Wait, my name is David Anderson. I'm here to help you."

She slowly crawled forward, her eyes still on him. He gave a smile, offering her his hand.  
"I promise I'll take care of you." He said as she hesitated. He reached in further and she backed down, curling up in a small ball. There was a glint of light and he could see a piece of glass in her hand, which she was squeezing so tightly that it was cutting into her palm.  
"I won't hurt you." He spoke slowly and softly. She glanced out from under her arm.  
He tried again with a smile, which seemed to win her over; she dropped the glass and reached up, one of her small, bloody hands grabbing his and allowing him to help her out.  
He looked her over, trying to spot any sort of injury and feeling sick at her messy state.

Her hair was black and missing a portion that she had cut off earlier. Her skin, covered with scratches and bruises, looked dark and slightly browned. She was small, covered with an oversized shirt and a pair of ripped up pants, and blood spatter decorating her attire. Her face held a pair of big blue eyes that were empty.

Seeing that she was relatively unharmed, he gave her a smile.  
"Can you tell me your name?"  
She looked at him, exhaustion on her face, and he realized that she needed to get out of there.  
"Can I pick you up?" He asked. She looked at her bare feet before nodding. He gently scooped her up, letting her head rest against his shoulder.  
"Alright, I want you to close your eyes." He said. She turned her head into his neck, burying her face in there as he began walking through the house again. He paused only to pick up a datapad that was labeled 'Family Information' before swiftly taking her out. He went to tell her that she needed to keep her eyes closed a little longer, but stopped when he heard her snore.

"Alright, let's get out of here." He said into the comm. as softly as he could. His regrouped, a few of them shooting the girl in his arms a glance before turning back and simply escorting them out.

As she twitched in his arms, Anderson subconsciously tightened his grip on her.

* * *

"Ander-"

Marcus's call died down as he spied the child in his XO's arms and he quickly ran to his side, glancing at her.  
"Is that the girl?" He asked. Anderson nodded, not wanting to wake her up.  
"Is she alright?"  
"Yeah." He replied. "I couldn't see anything major wrong with her."  
"What's her name?" Marcus was peering at her now.  
"I don't know." Anderson said in a whisper. "She wouldn't speak and when I picked her up she fell asleep instantly."  
"Any family?"  
"The entire colony was killed. I don't know about anywhere else. I did find a datapad labeled 'Family Information'."  
Marcus nodded. "Alright, I want you to take her up to the doctor. Write your report and send it to me after you're done."

Anderson nodded, already heading to the elevator that would take him to the upper deck, where the medical wing was. He shifted the girl to his left side, holding up the datapad that he had picked up from the house. He had just turned it on when the doors opened and he put it away, focusing on getting to the medical ward.

The door gave a soft whirr as it opened. Anderson walked in and was immediately face-to-face with a young woman.

"David, I heard the comm. chatter! Is this her?" Dorita Arroyo, the medic on the ship, asked quietly, looking at the girl. He nodded and she immediately held out her arms.  
"I'll take her from here." She said.

David was surprised to feel a reluctance build up as he handed the girl over. She stirred, but didn't wake and the doctor quickly whisked her away, leaving David alone.

"Message me when she wakes up!" He called out to Rita as he left, heading for his locker. He unlatched his armor, hands brushing over the few scratches he had in it from previous missions. His stomach flipped as he saw a bloody handprint—the girl's. He quickly tucked everything away into his locker and headed to the showers, hoping to clear his mind.

As David stepped out of the shower, he still felt unclean. The sights and smells of the colony were still heavy on him and he wearily sat down in the mess hall to write out his report. He had just sent the report, the pictures, and a note on how the others also recorded footage of the scene to Marcus when his Omni-tool vibrated with a message from his captain.

_Anything on the girl yet?—M _

_Rita's still working with her. I haven't had time to read the info. Doing that now. –A _

After sending it off, Anderson pulled out the datapad he retrieved from the home and began scanning through the information. From what was on the datapad, the family—the Shepards—consisted of the two parents that Anderson had seen in the house, and three children. The oldest two were a pair of twins: Alexandra and Bailey, black hair and blue eyes. They both matched the description of the girl he rescued, the issue was figuring out which one she was.  
His heart dropped as he read the age: eleven years old. Not even a teenager and she had seen more death than most soldiers saw in the field. He rubbed his temples, shutting off the datapad and pushing it aside.

"David."

He jumped as Rita materialized next to the table, her eyes looking tiredly at him.  
"Rita." He greeted. His eyes flickered over to the medbay doors and then back to her. "How is she?"  
Rita sighed, taking a deep breath and sitting across from him.  
"Physically, she's fine." She began. "She's a healthy weight; there are a few scratches and bruises that seem to be from foliage. The worst thing on her is that cut on her hand from the glass."  
David listened carefully. "Okay, so that's the physical aspects."  
Rita nodded. "Right. Now, there's the mental aspect. She was assaulted by the Batarians, most likely saw many of the colonist's bodies, and definitely saw her parents bodies—that we know."  
David nodded. "Right."  
"Anything else?"  
"Apparently she has two other siblings: a brother and a twin sister. I don't know where they are or what happened to them, but I know that there was no one alive on that planet when we left."  
Rita frowned. "Okay, so that will be affecting her too." Her omni-tool vibrated and she opened it up, looking back to David.

"She's awake."

David nodded, already standing up.  
"I've got to talk to her." It was an explanation for both of them, trying to justify what he would have to bring up in the room. Rita nodded.  
"Okay, but be careful: the girl's been through a lot."  
"I know."  
"And try to be comforting. She'll probably latch onto you; after all, you did pull her out of that hell."  
"Okay. I'll message you if there's a problem. Go get some sleep." He ordered, squeezing her shoulder as he passed.

* * *

A few notes:

'Two-story house': I imagined the homes for the colonies looking like the housing units on Horizon in ME2: with the grey blocks and such. For this house, it would be one block over the other, with an outdoor staircase linking the two.

Timeline: As stated in the summary, the timeline is a bit skewered. Anderson and Shepard were both born in the canon years, but the attack on Mindoir happened earlier, taking place right after Anderson was rejected as a Spectre candidate.

**Author's Notes:** Thank you so much for reading and please leave a review/comment/critique because everything helps! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!—_Andi_


	2. The Interview, Pt I

**Chapter Two:** The Interview—Part One  
**Chapter Summary:** In which Anderson speaks to Shepard, they finally eat something, and Anderson shares his favorite book.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, Bioware, Sherlock Holmes, ect. The only things I own are the plot and Shepard's personality. Don't sue me.**

* * *

**Chapter Two: The Interview Part One**

Anderson watched as the door opened. The girl was sitting up in a medbay bed, her eyes darting frantically to the door before she slightly relaxed.  
"May I come in?" He inquired. She glanced down, silent. After a moment passed and he still had yet to come in, she took a quick look around before pointing to herself. He gave a soft smile.  
"Yes, I was asking you." He confirmed. "May I come in?"  
She nodded slowly, confusion still on her face as he moved to sit at her bedside.  
"You're wondering why I asked your permission."  
She nodded again.  
"Well, I figured you might want to be alone for a while." He carefully explained. "I don't want to bother you, so you can tell me to leave if you want."  
She was quick to shake her head and he took notice of how Rita had managed to clean her up: her skin was lighter now, the dirt scrubbed from it. Her hair was cleaner as well, although it was missing a large chunk that she had cut off with the glass, and her eyes seemed brighter.  
"You look better."  
She shrugged, her hand coming up to play with a strand of her hair. He leaned forward, trying to get her attention.  
"Do you remember me?"  
She glanced around before holding out her hand and acting like she was writing on it.

"You need something to write with…"

David got up, looking around slowly. There were some datapads on the desk, along with a few pens. He picked up a pen, opening the drawers until he managed to find a small notepad. When he returned the girl was already holding out her hands for them and he quickly handed them over.  
Quickly, she scribbled down some words.

_You saved me. Thank you._

He smiled. "You're welcome. Do you remember my name?"

_David?_

"Right, David Anderson. Can you tell me your name?"  
She wrote slowly and carefully, making sure each letter was legible before showing him the pad.

_Alexandra Shepard_

"Okay, Alexandra—"  
She interrupted him with a shake of her head and covered up the last part of her name.  
"You prefer Alex?"  
She nodded.  
"Okay Alex, how old are you?"  
He knew the answer already, but he still felt sick as she held up two fingers—one on each hand.  
"Eleven?" He asked. She nodded.  
He decided to attempt some humor. "I must seem really old to you." He said with a smile. She fell for it, giving a small grin and shaking her head.

_You don't look old. How old are you?_

"I'm twenty-eight." He replied. She seemed to relax more, her grin still there. She was even meeting his eyes for more than a few seconds.  
"Alex, do you mind if I ask you some questions?"  
She hesitated, biting her lower lip.  
"You don't have to answer anything you don't want to." He reminded her gently. When she still looked unsure, he gently took her hand.  
"Alex, I know you don't want to talk about this, but it might help if you talk to _somebody_."

She seemed scared, her eyes wide with fright, but nodded as she wrote something.

_I want to talk to you._

"Okay, ready?" He asked. She nodded.

"Alex, can you tell me what happened on Mindoir?"

It was dangerous territory, that he knew, but he had to ask. As he expected, she locked up: her eyes dimmed and her body tensed. Her hands shook as she wrote.

_No. Not now._

David nodded.  
"Okay. Do you have any family?"

_A sister and brother—Bailey and Seth. Are they okay?_

"We're still looking for them." He reassured her. It wasn't a total lie: they were still trying to identify the bodies in the colony and they were also trying to find the slavers who attacked them. Either one of those could turn up the children.  
"I was wondering if you had any family outside of the colony. Maybe on Earth or another world?" He suggested. She shook her head.

_Mom said the entire family went there. _

He managed to hide his frown, but Alex still noticed the disappointment in his eyes.

_What's going to happen to me?_

He tried to be as optimistic as possible with her.  
"If there are no relatives that can take you, you'll most likely be sent back to Earth, to your parent's home country, to stay in an orphanage until someone adopts you."

She frowned at the news and he agreed with her disposition: even at her young age, people would be wary of adopting her—especially with her history. And the orphanages on Earth were overflowing with kids, a negative effect from the space colonization: between the population booming from people assuming they had more space and the dozens of accidents that were a result of space travel, there was a record high in the number of orphans. Alex would be lucky if she managed to stay off the street.

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard what sounded like a low growl. She immediately grabbed her stomach, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment as she met his eyes.  
He smiled, standing up.  
"I'll go order us some dinner." He explained, heading to the doorway. He could feel her eyes on him the entire time, so he just leaned out and called to the mess sergeant.

"Hey, Bill!"

The mess sergeant, Bill Rattner, turned at the call. He gave David a friendly smile, leaning on the counter.  
"What can I do for ya, Anderson?" He asked, his voice heavy with a southern accent.  
"I need some food for me and the kid." He explained. "Preferably, something light."  
At the mention of Alex, Bill stood up straighter. "Right away." He acknowledged. David smiled in thanks before walking back to Alex's side.

"We'll have some food momentarily."

Alex handed over the notepad, which had several questions on it.

_Thanks. Where am I? Where are we going? How long was I asleep?_

"No problem, I was getting hungry too." He responded before continuing, "You are currently on the SSV _Hastings_. It's an Alliance ship under the command of Captain Marcus. We're heading to the Arcturus Station right now, and you were asleep for an hour or so."  
She was quick to scribble down something else.

_The Arcturus station?_

"It's where they house the Alliance. There, someone will want to talk with you and check to make sure you're okay. Then they'll figure out what will happen to you."

She still frowned at the last part and he gave a soft smile.  
"Don't worry kid. You'll be fine."

_How do you know?_

The question came with a skeptical look.  
"Because you're a fighter."

_I don't think I can do this alone._

"You won't be." He reassured her. There was a moment where she seemed to smile at him, but it was lost as the door opened. David watched as alarm passed over her face, her eyes darting to the door.

"I brought ya'll some grub." Bill said, walking in with two steaming bowls of stew. David took one with a soft 'thank you' and watched as Alex glanced between them. After David nodded, she took the bowl with a small nod.

"If ya need anythin', I'm right outside." He reminded them both, giving Alex another smile as he walked back out.

She gave the food a quizzical look, poking a floating piece of meat with her spoon carefully.  
"I can't promise it will be spectacular," David interrupted her thoughts, "but it is pretty filling."  
He took a spoonful of the food and, after blowing it cool, ate it. Alex watched and then mimicked his actions with her own food, carefully slurping up the broth.

That seemed to do the trick: immediately she forgot her caution and downed the bowl, stopping only when she forgot to cool the mouthful before she ate it. David kept pace with her, downing his own bowl with a little less vigor. As they both finished, she gave him a sheepish smile.

"I guess you were hungry, huh?" He asked, picking up the bowl. "Look, why don't you get some sleep? We still have a few hours until we reach the Station and you'll need all the energy you can get." He advised. She looked down, scribbling on her notepad.

_I'll be fine. I don't want to sleep._

Even as he read it, he noticed her eyes fighting to stay open. He shook his head.  
"Kid, get some sleep." He ordered. "I promise, it will help you."

She shook her head violently, scribbling down some more.

_No. I don't want to sleep._

David frowned, putting the bowls aside as he sat at the edge of her bed. He suspected that he knew why, but he needed to make sure.

"Nightmares?"

She nodded with the fear back in her eyes as she wrote.

_Please don't make me see them again._

He sighed, getting back up.  
"Alright. Let me go put these away and I'll sit with you. You won't have to sleep."  
She frowned, but nodded and watched as he walked out. Once outside, he darted to the sink to drop off the bowls and then stopped by the crew quarters where he resided to pick up a book.

"See, I told you that I'd be back." He said with a cheerful grin as he walked back into the medbay. Alex looked up, her eyes slightly dropping as she stared at him. He resumed his vigil by her side, pulling out the book. At her inquiring look, he shifted forward.

"It's an old classic-_Sherlock Holmes _by Sir Arthur Doyle. Have you ever read any of these?"  
She shook her head.  
"When I was your age I adored these books."

She had written something down and handed him the notepad.

_What's it about?_

"Well, it's about this man, Sherlock Holmes, who is a consulting detective."  
She tilted her head to the side curiously.  
"He assists the police with crimes that they can't solve." He quickly explained. "Holmes and his partner, Doctor John Watson, go around and solve all sorts of crimes together. The thing that makes it so different, though, is that Holmes is a genius: he can look at your shoes and tell how you walk, how long you've had your shoes, and where you were three hours ago."  
There was a glint in her eye as she took back the notepad and scribbled something down.

_How?_

"Like I said: Holmes is a genius. He just looks and he can tell." David said with a smile. "Remember, this was written way back in 1887. He didn't have technology or anything."

At the age of the book her eyes went wide.

_That's ancient! Why do you like it?_

"Because it is a really good series. It's interesting and a fun read." He explained. "Want me to read it to you?"

She nodded, moving over on her bed. He looked at the spot, unsure.

"I'm not sure there's enough room for the both of us." He admitted. She frowned, eyeing him and then the space next to her. There might have been, but it would have been tight. She scooted over some more and patted the space.  
"Kid, I don't think—"

She gave him the biggest puppy-dog eyes that she could and he finally relented. He squeezed himself beside her, allowing her to curl up against him. Although half of his body was dangling off the side of the bed, he made himself as comfortable as possible and began reading.

"'_In the year of 1878 I took my degree of Doctor of Medicine of the University of London…'_"

Alex stayed awake up until Watson met Holmes, finally giving into her exhaustion.

Anderson smirked, shutting off the datapad and setting it aside to focus on slipping out of the bed without waking her which was surprisingly easy.  
As he slid out of her grip, he took his vigil by her bedside, pulling out the book once more and resuming his reading. He lasted for the first two chapters before he noticed a soft mumble. Looking up, he saw the child curled up, her face twisted in pain.

"No…don't…"

Her words were harsh and cracked and he saw her struggle to curl up tighter. She was shaking and her eyes moved erratically beneath her eyelids.

"Please…don't leave me."

David set the datapad aside, leaning forward and gently grabbing her shoulder. She flinched, starting to wriggle away.  
"Alex, wake up." He called, trying to shake her awake. She twisted away, suddenly growing more violent. She cried out, her hands coming up and starting to hit him as he struggled to wake her.

"No! Let me—"

"Alex, wake up! Shepard!"

He called out her name as she delivered a well-placed blow to his jaw, managing to knock him away as she also fell off the bed. There was a hard _thunk_ and some shuffling. He quickly went around the bed and found her shaking and panting in the corner, her wide eyes focused on him.

"Alex, do you remember me?" He asked slowly as he knelt down. She nodded and he moved closer.  
"Remember where you are?"  
Another nod.  
"You're safe. It was just a nightmare."

Her eyes released a flood of tears as she launched herself into his arms, sobbing into his shoulder. David paused, slightly taken aback before he gently held her and rubbed her back.

"Don't worry. You're safe." He whispered to her as she continued to cry. Leaning against the wall, he kept her cradled in his arms and simply held her as she slowly stopped crying and fell back into a fitful sleep.

He sighed, pulling out his omni-tool and checking the time: 0200.  
Two in the morning, leaving about a six hour drive until they arrived at the Station.

David hunkered down, still holding onto Shepard as he allowed himself to drift off into a light sleep as well.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Thank you for reading and I hope you guys enjoyed! As always, please review/comment/critique because every comment helps.  
**A bit of a Note:** This will have time jumps, but will follow a consistent plotline. Also, right now other characters will be making cameos in future chapters (Joker, Garrus, and Tali are all planned to make an appearance)!

Once again, thank you for reading!—Andi


	3. The Station

**Chapter Three:** The Station.  
**Chapter Summary:** In which Marcus speaks for more than a few sentences.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bioware, Mass Effect, etc. I only own the plot and Shep's personality. Don't sue me.**

* * *

Chapter Three: The Station

"Anderson."

David jumped as he heard Marcus's voice, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. He was still on the floor with his back against the wall and Alex still slept in his arms. He looked up, seeing both Marcus and Rita standing above them.

"Sir." He greeted. They both were wearing small smirks as they stared at the Commander on the ground.  
"We're at the Station." Marcus said. "I want you to get the girl ready and meet me in the airlock." He ordered. David nodded and watched as Marcus walked out before looking back up to Rita.

"I'll be coming with you in order to explain her physical and mental condition. And I grabbed some clothes that she can wear—they're huge, but it's the only things we had." She explained, showing him a pair of shorts and a sweatshirt. He smirked at the sweatshirt, recognizing it as one of his never-worn N7 shirts, and raised an eyebrow.

"It's one of the only pieces of clothing on here that wasn't used. The shorts are from one of the engineers—the small one with the red hair. She's the smallest crewman on here and I figured they would be the best fit for the girl." She explained in a rushed whisper. David nodded his thanks and began to slowly sit up more, waking up Alex.

"Alex. Alex, wake up."

She jumped, her hands tightening on his shirt before relaxing and sleepily blinking as she looked around.  
"Alex, come on. We're at the Station and you need to get dressed." David told her. She nodded, standing up and stretching a little, allowing for him to stand as well.  
"Alex, Rita has some clothes for you to change into so I'm going to leave you two alone, okay?"

She hesitated, looking between him and Rita before giving a small nod.  
"I promise she'll take care of you. And she's got a great fashion sense." He added with a wink. Alex seemed to relax a little, giving him a small smirk and a nod.

"Alright. I'll be right outside if you need me." He told them as he left. The doors slid shut and he stretched out some more, popping a few joints loose before quickly darting to get changed into a less-wrinkled suit. By the time he returned, Alex and Rita were standing outside the doors.

It was almost comical how big the clothes were on Alex: his shirt was more like a dress on her, hanging down to her knees. Underneath, the shorts she had been given looked more akin to pants.

"Ready to go?" He asked them with a small smirk. The two women both nodded as Alex reached up and grabbed onto his hand firmly.

Together, the three of them slowly made their way to the airlock where Marcus was waiting. Upon seeing them, the captain gave a wide smile to Alex and knelt down to her eye-level.

"Alex Shepard, right?" He asked. She nodded, peeking out from behind Anderson's legs.  
"Well, Miss Shepard, I'm Captain Lionel Marcus. I know what is about to happen might be scary but I want you to know that we will be with you the entire time, okay?"

Shepard nodded.

Marcus gave her another smile and stood up, the group now moving to the front of the airlock. Alex kept her grip tight on Anderson's hand, watching as the door behind them closed and the decontamination sequence began.

After that passed, they walked out of the ship and onto the dock, where a pair of women were waiting for them.

"Captain Marcus?" One of the women, a tall and plump brunette asked. Marcus nodded, shaking her hand.

"I'm Tiffany Zahn with the Council." She introduced before gesturing to her companion. "This is Lillian Schmidt with Social Services."

Lillian, a tall and lanky red-head, shook Marcus's hand as well with a curt 'hello'.

"Lillian is in charge of the child's case and will need everything you found on her and her history." Tiffany explained, looking down at her clipboard. Marcus nodded.

"We'll transfer those right away." He confirmed. Lillian nodded her thanks, her eyes glancing to the child hiding behind David's legs.

"Is that her?" She inquired.

Rita rolled her eyes at the useless question, although she was curt in her response.  
"Yes. She's in perfect physical health-I checked her out myself."

Schmidt glanced up at the doctor, her mouth forming a thin line.  
"We'll still have Alliance doctors check on her to make sure you didn't miss anything."

David felt himself slowly start disliking Miss Schmidt more and more. Rita glared daggers at the woman, but she was focused on Alex.

"Hello there little one." She spoke as if Alex was a toddler. "What's your name?"

Alex didn't respond.

"Don't be shy." Lillian encouraged. David felt Alex bury her face into his pants and gently put his hand on her head.

"Her name is Alexandra Shepard." He stated. "And-"

"I believe I asked her." Lillian responded quickly.

"She doesn't talk." Marcus intervened, pulling Lillian back up. "She hasn't said a word since we brought her on board."

The woman frowned, but relented as Tiffany stepped forward.

"We should get going." She ordered. "We have to get young Miss Shepard to the doctor's to get her cleared for questioning." She had turned and started walking off, followed closely by Lillian and Marcus. Rita hung back, watching as David picked up Alex so she wouldn't have to struggle to keep up.

"That lady's just a bowl full of sunshine." She muttered to her friend as the two began walking after their captain. David smirked, shifting Alex in between them.

"I'm sure she means well." He pointed out. Rita snorted but didn't respond, instead poking Alex's side.

"Hey kiddo, how you holding up?"

Alex shrugged, her eyes skimming over their surroundings.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Rita continued. "The Station is really a marvel—advanced technology, firm architecture. Remarkable."

Alex nodded and wiggled out of David's arms, still attached to his hand and grabbed Rita's hand as well, jogging in between the two. Rita smiled at the girl, swinging their arms back and forth.

The walk lasted for about ten minutes, constantly taking turns and weaving around until they were standing in front of a small clinic. Tiffany looked over to Lillian and Marcus.

"Alright, we're going to need to leave the child here to get checked up." She explained. They both looked over to where David and Rita were escorting Alex. Lillian moved first, quickly walking over to the girl and holding out her hand.

"Miss Alexandra, you're going to have to stay here with me." She explained, "So I'm going to need you to let go of their hands and come with me."

Alex flinched away, hiding behind David again.

"Alexandra, please come with me." Lillian ordered. Alex shot her a glare, still hiding.

"It would be best if David went with her." Rita quickly shot in. "She's calmest when he's around and he's the only one she's opened up to."

Lillian sighed before looking at the Captain.  
"Do you need Lieutenant Anderson or can he stay with Shepard?"

"He can stay. We'll head on to the Council and meet you there." Marcus responded, directing the last part at his XO. Anderson nodded.

"Yes sir. I'll see you then."

As they left, Lillian faced them again.  
"Okay, let's just head inside."

Anderson followed her direction, leading Alex into the clinic where an elder man waited with a smile.

"Hello there, youngling." He greeted her. "My name is Doctor Mackey, and who might you be?"

He had a grandfatherly aura that seemed to calm Alex down, making her grin as she peeked out from behind Anderson.

"Her name is Alex Shepard." Anderson responded, nudging her forward. "She's a little shy."

Mackey glanced up, nodding.  
"Well, that's not a problem. When you're ready, I need you to step on this scale so I can take your weight and check your height."

Alex looked up to David, who nodded. She slowly walked away from him, stepping on the scale with care.

"Very good. Let's see here…how old are you?"

Alex held up her two fingers and the doctor nodded vigorously.  
"Eleven, eh? I haven't been eleven for a very, _very_, long time."

She giggled, her smile wider as he made a few notes on his datapad.

"Alright, may I take your height?"  
Alex nodded as she watched him pull out a long stick.

"I'm a bit old-fashioned." He explained as he stuck the stick behind her. "It's outdated, but it's accurate enough. Can you do me a favor and stand up as straight as you can?"

She followed his request, pulling her shoulders back and her head up. The doctor nodded, putting his finger against the top of her head before typing out her height.

"You are forty-seven inches tall. Did you know that?" He asked. She shook her head.  
"Yes ma'am, you are a little small but you seem to be in good health. I need you to sit on this table right quick so I can check a few more things."

Alex did as was requested, jumping on the mentioned table and watching as Dr. Mackey pulled out a small hammer.  
"I'm going to have to check your reflexes first, okay?"  
She nodded and he bent down, tapping her knee with it. Both of her legs passed the test, kicking out as he gave them light taps.

"Good, that is very good." He muttered as he checked her eyes and then moved to her ears. She wiggled around uncomfortably, and watched him as he went back to stand in front of her.  
"Everything checks out."

He smiled at her and she smiled back, hopping off the table and going back to David's side.

"Is there any medical reason she isn't talking?" Lillian asked. Mackey shrugged.

"None that I could find. My guess is that she'll talk when she's ready too." He explained. "We just have to give her time."

"So is she good to be interviewed?" She persisted. This time the doctor glanced at Alex and David.

"I believe that would be best left to her judgment." He replied carefully. Lillian nodded, already moving to the door.

"Come Commander Anderson, we need t get a move on."

David picked her up again and went after the Social Services agent, pausing only to thank the doctor for his help.

"It was no problem, I assure you." The doctor had kindly retorted. "It was very nice to meet you, Miss Shepard."  
He shook her hand and she giggled a little, shyly looking down and giving a small wave as they left.

Walking back out, David carried her to the elevator, where Lillian waited.

"The council is waiting for us." She notified them, letting the doors close. David nodded, letting Alex slide down to the ground. She stuck next to his leg, holding his hand still. Lillian looked over to her and gave her a smile.

"How are you feeling?"

Alex shrugged, still not making eye contact with her.

"Well, it'll soon be finished." She promised. Alex's hand tightened slightly and David gave her a reassuring grin.

The Council of the Alliance was a circle of the highest ranking officers. Based off of the Citadel's Council, these five men and three women were considered to be the best of the best and were in charge of everything that happened with the navy.  
And they all held the same stoic expression as Lillian led David and Alex into the Council Chambers. They were seated in a long, circular table with a smaller table in front of them. Marcus met Anderson at the door with a blank stare.

"She'll have to go sit at the table with Miss Schmidt." He explained. "We sit in the audience seats."

Alex's hand tightened around his and David bit back a frown, instead answering with a prompt "Yes sir."  
He knelt in front of the girl, who looked slightly panicked.

"Alex, you'll be fine. You've just got to be strong for a little longer. Think you can do that?"

She slowly nodded and he let her slowly walk up with the Social Services Agent, taking a seat next to Rita in the front.

* * *

**Notes**: First off, thank you so much for reading this. Please leave a comment/critique so I can improve my writing.  
Secondly, This was supposed to be a lot longer, however I decided to cut it off here so I could get this posted before the week's done. The next chapter should be up by next Friday, unless something halts my writing.  
Once again, thank you all for reading and I hope you have a very happy Holiday!


	4. The Interview, Pt 2

**Chapter Four: **The Interview-Part 2  
**Chapter Summary:** In which Marcus speaks again, Shepard begins nursing a hatred for politicians, all Anderson has to do is nod, and Anderson becomes David.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bioware, Mass Effect, etc. I only own the plot and Shep's personality. Don't sue me please.  
**

* * *

"How was she?" Rita asked as David sank into his seat. He shrugged, conveying what the doctor had said earlier. She nodded in agreement, rolling her eyes.  
"I told them that exact—"

"Hush."

Marcus's command was soft and made them both fall silent, watching as the questioning began.  
Alex was still seated in the middle of the room at a small table, her feet dangling inches from ground. Beside her sat Lillian while Miss Zahn stood at the edge of the Council's table.  
"Miss Shepard, we're going to ask you some questions. We will need you to answer to the best of your abilities on the datapad in front of you, okay?" One of the councilors explained. David frowned at their tone: they spoke as if they were talking to a toddler.  
Alex nodded, glancing back at them. David gave her a reassuring smile and she turned back.

"Miss Shepard, can you tell us where you lived?"

She wrote down something quickly and handed it over to Lillian.

"_Mindoir, on the farms._"

"Shepard, can you tell us about what happened on Mindoir?" Another councilman spoke up.  
David scowled, seeing Alex tensed up and vigorously shook her head. The councilman—the same one that asked the question leaned forward.

"Shepard, I know it might be difficult, but we _need_ to know what happened there."

She remained steadfast, her gaze dropping to the table. Lillian leaned down next to Alex's ear, whispering in a hushed tone, although it echoed around the quiet room.  
"Alex, we can help you."

She was unmoving, still staring at the table while the councilors began huffing in agitation.  
"Shepard, can you tell us anything? Who it was that attacked the colony? How many were there?" Another councilman insisted.

"Why are they asking her when they know she won't answer them?" Rita hissed under her breath. David, also annoyed at how they were acting, turned to his captain.  
"Isn't there anything we can do?" He asked. Marcus paused, frowning.  
"I'm not sure…" He whispered back as the council began arguing amongst themselves.

"She won't speak—not now, anyway." One of them pointed out.  
"But she saw what happened; we need to get that information." Another voice piped in. "And what are we supposed to do? Wait for her to start speaking again?"  
"And there's the issue of her having no family." A third voice added. "So there is issue of where she will be staying after she leaves the council."

David's anger flared. They spoke of Alex as if she wasn't even present, and their words were affecting her: at the mention of 'no family' her eyes had grown and a few silent tears came out of her eyes.

"We could have her stay with a family on the station—it would give her a bed and some food while keeping her under our watch." Voice two threw out. There was a mixed reaction, most of it positive.  
"There's a new Ambassador, a something-Moreau. He has a son and could hold onto her until we get the information we need."

Alex had turned to look at David once more. Tears had marked paths down her face and she looked just as scared sitting at the table than when she had been hiding on Mindoir. Her eyes were pleading for him to do something—anything to help her, but he knew it was hopeless. This was out of his hands.

"Councilors, if I may…" Marcus had stood up and quickly moved to the edge of the council floor. He waited until the middle councilor, one who had yet to speak, nodded before moving forward.  
"I propose that Miss Shepard stay with my crew."

The proposal seemed to shock everyone—David and Rita exchanged wide-eyed glances before focusing on the councilmen.

"This is rather unordinary, Captain." The grey-haired man in the middle pointed out. Marcus nodded.

"These are unordinary circumstances, sir." He replied tactfully. "But I believe it would be in the best interest for everyone involved: this way you will be able to keep young Miss Shepard under the watchful eye of the Alliance for whenever she decides to speak again. She will be in a stable, safe place—"

"Captain, how on earth will she be 'safe' when she is on a ship that is supposed to be doing patrols around space?" Lillian interrupted. Marcus turned back to her and gave a small nod.

"Well, Miss Schmidt, it is true that the _Hastings_ does a routine patrol throughout the galaxy; however, all of the combat that she sees happens on the ground of planets, with a ground team while the ship usually stays in the upper atmosphere. This means that Miss Shepard will be out of harm's way on the ship."

"And what of her education? Her health? And there is the issue of where she would stay—after all, Alliance ships are lacking in the space area." Lillian insisted. Rita quickly stood.

"I double majored!" She declared quickly. When all eyes turned to her, she seemed to regain her sense and calmed down a little. "I double majored in both medicine and education. Alex could take most of her courses on the net, but I would be able to help where it's needed. And, as the ship's medical doctor, I could also keep up with all of her physical and psychological needs and update the council via reports."

Marcus smiled at her before turning back to Lillian. "As for her room, there is a small space behind the medbay that we could refurbish into a room for Miss Shepard. She would have the space to herself, enough room for her to grow."

The council began nodding, seeing the reasoning behind Marcus's claim.

"But what of her guardian?" Schmidt once again asserted. "She would need a legal guardian."

"My Lieutenant, David Anderson, would be perfect."

David froze with his eyes on his commanding officer as the man put him in the spotlight. While he was not one to crack under the sudden amount of attention, he wished he had some warning.

"Anderson?" Voice two from the council spoke up. "Is this the same Anderson from—"

"Yes, I believe it is." Voice one interrupted.

David held back a groan. Of course the council was going to remind him of the mission—the mission that wasn't even his fault! He wanted to argue, but kept his mouth shut and instead allowed Marcus to continue.

"Anderson is not only my best crewman, but also one of the only ones that Miss Shepard has become fond of. I believe that he would not only be able to care for her, but that she would be more willing to open up to him sooner than if we stuck her with anyone else."

There was some murmuring among the men and women of the council, all of them leaning forwards in their chairs and sending glances between Marcus, Shepard, and Anderson. Finally, after minutes of deliberation, they sat back up.

"Commander Anderson, do you wish to adopt this child?" The middle councilman inquired. David hesitated, looking to Shepard first. She nodded encouragingly.

And so, speechless, David Anderson nodded as well.

"Good, good. Then it is by our decision that Alexandra Shepard be put under the care of Commander David Anderson and allowed boarding upon the _Hastings_."

There was a small murmur of proud agreement from the council, as if _they_ had been the ones to come up with this brilliant plan. Marcus smirked proudly, going over and grabbing David's arm.

"Come along, we need to get some papers signed."

* * *

"I'm sorry for shoving all this on you unexpectedly, David." Marcus apologized, although he never lost his smile as he and David waited for the adoption papers. They were still in the council chambers, although the council had left earlier. Alex had refused to leave David's side, at first standing by him before he scooted back enough to allow her a seat on his leg. Rita sat across from them, trying to get Alex to smile.  
David waived his apology off.

"Honestly, it's not that much of an issue. I'm just glad that you managed to come up with something to help her."

Alex was looking up at him when Lillian came back in, her hands full of papers. She sat next to Rita, spreading out the sheets and indicating the lines Anderson had to sign.

"Are you married, Lieutenant?" She asked, her eyes only flicking up to him. He shook his head.

"Divorced, actually. No children." _Until now_, he thought. A slight alarm rang in his head as it registered with him that he was going to be responsible for another person. He was going to be a father.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She whispered. There was a small silence as they continued going through the paperwork before she spoke again.  
"I apologize for being so pushy earlier." She said. "I know I seemed pretty mean but you must understand: I'm trying to do what's best for Alex. I've seen kids like her get lost in the system."  
There was a soft tremble to her voice that made her confession all the more vulnerable.

"I understand." David said.

She smiled. "Thank you. Now there is one question: do you want her to take your last name? She'd be Alexandra Anderson-"

Anderson looked down at Alex, who hadn't made any indication of her choice.

"I think she should keep Shepard." He finally said. She looked up at him curious, but with a small nod in agreement.

Lillian concurred, marking the appropriate boxes before showing the paper to him.  
"After you sign here you'll be responsible for her."

David nodded and carefully signed his name.

Lillian looked over the paperwork carefully. "I think everything's in order. Take good care of her."

Anderson nodded, reaching over and shaking her hand as they stood, Alex sliding off of David's lap and grabbing onto his arm.  
"Oh, and one more thing." Lillian reached into her pocket and pulled out a small card, handing it over. "There are a few shops on floor three-mainly clothing places. Just hand the cashier this card and she won't charge you. You can grab Alex some clothes and things, courtesy of the Alliance Adoption Agency." She explained. Anderson paused and looked at the card.

"Thanks." He managed to say. She gave them all one last smile before she bid her goodbye and left. Marcus turned to the group, giving Alex a wide smile.

"Well, I have to inform the crew and get your room fixed up so you guys can meet me at the ship. I look forward to having you aboard, Miss Shepard." He offered her his hand, which she carefully took and shook. To Rita and Anderson, he only offered a small nod before turning and leaving them.

"So, what now?" Rita asked. David looked down at Alex, the card still in his hand.

"Are you up for some shopping, kiddo?"

* * *

They had headed down to the third level, Rita leading the way to the clothing stores. The entire way Alex had refused to let go of him, wearily looking around as they walked. Had David not known the reasons behind her clinginess, he might have found it adorable.

However the reason for her clinginess and for her being in this position in the first place was still fresh on his mind, which was why he decided to change the plans a little.

"Rita, do you think you can get clothes in her size without her there?" He asked. Rita glanced over, but nodded.  
"I'm pretty sure I could. They might be a little big, but they'd work."  
"Alright, do it. Just a few pairs of pants and shirts—you know the drill. I'm going to give her some time to breath."

"Okay. Message me when you're ready to leave." She ordered, giving Alex a smile before leaving. The girl looked up at David, puzzled.

"I thought that you might want to sit down for a moment." He explained. She didn't respond, simply following him as they went by a small café table and sat.

"Do you want something to eat or drink?" He asked her. She shook her head, so he waived away the waiter that had been advancing.

There was a small silence between them before he leaned forward.

"Alex, I want you to be honest with me." He asked. "I need to know if you're okay with everything that just happened. I know it all went really quickly and you're probably trying to cope with it…"

As he had talked, she had been writing on a napkin with a pen he had given her.

_I'm okay, I guess._ _I didn't like the council._

"I don't like them either." He admitted. "I think it's because they're politicians—all politicians suck."

She didn't smile, simply writing some more.

_I'm sorry I'm so much trouble._

His stomach dropped as he read the message, noting how she had written something after only to have crossed it out.

"Alex, look at me." He ordered, his voice soft and firm, but kind. She looked up and he could see the guilt in her eyes.

"Alex, you are _not_ trouble. What happened isn't your fault and I need you to know that."  
She still seemed unsure, so he leaned forward. "Look, sometimes bad things happen to good people. We can't always help them, but that doesn't mean that it's our fault. I'm not going to say that I know what you're feeling, but I promise you that if you need anything—to talk, to cry, _anything_—I'm here for you now. You aren't alone in this."

She took in a shaky breath, her eyes teary as she finally nodded.

_Thank you Mr. Anderson._

He gave her a small smile. "You can call me David if you want."

She finally smiled, although it still didn't reach her eyes.

_Thank you David._

* * *

**Notes: **Thank you guys so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter :). Thank you to those who have reviewed (**Gohan Roxas, yahiro365,** and **Thedarkstorm**) and everyone who has started following the story! I'm sorry the chapter took so long but I wanted to get Alex as realistic as possible with her reaction to the trauma. I hope you all had a great holiday and have a great 2014!


	5. The Hastings

**Chapter Five:** The _Hastings_  
**In which:** Alex meets the crew, tours the _Hastings_, and Marcus and Anderson "talk"

**Disclaimer:** **As always, I do not own anything. Mass Effect is Bioware's, as is Shepard and Anderson. I do own the plot, Shepard's personality, and some of the crew. **

**Warning:** This chapter is filled with a lot of character introduction and detail of the ship, which isn't my strong suit, so I apologize for the sudden influx of detail.

After their small talk at the Café, Anderson had contacted Rita and told her they needed to head back to the ship while also sending a heads-up to the Captain.

_'Kay. Heading towards you now.-R._

_Good. The crew's been informed. They'll be at their post when you get back.-Marcus._

The last message was relieving to David, who had worried about Alex meeting so many people at once.  
"When we get back, do you want to tour the ship?" He asked her. She nodded.  
"Good. You may meet some of the crew too." He added, watching her reaction carefully. When she seemed indifferent to the thought, he took it as a sign that she would be okay.

"Hey there." Rita greeted them with a wide smile and her hands behind her back-which was immediately suspicious to David. Alex had also curiously peeked at the doctor as she approached.  
"So, I had them forward all the clothes to the ship for you Alex. I wasn't sure what you liked so I just chose some generic shirts and jeans."  
Alex nodded her thanks, but was still curiously trying to look at what she held. Rita, who had noticed the stares, gave them both a wide grin.  
"And I saw something I think you'd like, Alex." She finished by pulling out a small, dark blue notebook and a packet of colored pencils and pens.  
"I noticed you drawing a little on the notepad earlier and thought you might like to have something to draw in. Or you can use it to talk to us."  
Alex grinned, carefully sliding from her seat and slowly hugging Rita. The doctor paused, beaming at David before hugging Alex back.

It was only a few seconds before they parted and David stood up.  
"Well that was very nice of you Rita." He commented. "Thank you."  
She shrugged it off, instead grabbing one of Alex's hands as they headed back to the ship. Alex used her other hand to hang onto David, although it was a little looser than her earlier grip.

*The SSV _Hastings_ was one of the top Frigates in the Fleet. Although it was small in both size and crew, the ship was easily one of the fastest and deadliest of its kind. For the past three years Anderson had been proud to call it home and even prouder to say that he was the Second-in-Command of this powerful vessel.

As they approached it, he glanced down. Alex was looking at it in what seemed to be a stunned awe, her mouth slightly open and her eyes wide. He smirked, leading her to the window and lifting her for a better view.

"That's the _Hastings_." He whispered. Alex looked from the ship to him and then back as he continued. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" He asked. The girl nodded slowly, taking in the Frigate's size.  
"Well, you should see the inside of her-that's the _really_ great part." He explained as he let her down and headed for the airlock.

"I'll head to make sure everything's ready in your room." Rita said as the door slid open. "I'll see you guys in a little while."

She smiled as she walked away, making sure to hand Alex her notebook and pens. Marcus came up to them with a small nod to David and a grin at Alex.

"Hello Miss Shepard, welcome to the _Hastings_." He courteously greeted. "I'll be your captain for this voyage." His voice was humorous, making Alex grin as she peeked out from behind Anderson's legs. Marcus beamed at the gesture, standing up straighter.  
"Well, I shall allow you two to tour the ship; but Anderson, once your done you're to report back. We do have a ship to run, after all."

David nodded. "Aye, aye sir."

Marcus gave Alex a small salute before walking away, leaving the two alone.

"Well Alex, I guess we should start here, huh?" Anderson said. They went to the front of the ship, meeting a young woman.

"This is Lieutenant Jameson, the pilot." Anderson introduced. Lillian Jameson was only a few years out of flight school and usually kept to herself. She gave Alex a respectful nod and a shy smile. Alex returned the nod, although Jameson had already turned back to the console so she didn't see. David patted Alex's arm, nodding for her to follow him.  
They went back to the main chamber where they met with the elder Navigator, Sarah Dorre. The woman, who always had a thin lipped scowl on, eyed Alex uneasily.  
"Navigator Dorre, this is Alex Shepard. Alex, this is Navigator Sarah Dorre."  
Sarah slowly walked away with only a glance back at the girl. At the younger's quizzical look David shrugged, unsure about Dorre's behavior.

"Come on." He continued. He took her down to the second floor, where the medbay and crew's quarters were, and where Alex was reintroduced to the mess sergeant Bill Rattner.  
After Alex had said her hellos to him and some of the other crewmen that passed, David took her down to the cargo hold.

"This is the cargo hold." He brought her over to one of the vehicles. "This is the Mako, one of our two planet-side vehicles. The other is the Hammerhead shuttle." He gestured across the hold, where their shuttle waited. Alex looked between the two, reaching up to pat the Mako.

"Hey!"

She jumped as someone called out, watching as a middle-aged man walked up to them. David tensed up beside her and she unconsciously grabbed a hold of his jacket hem.

"What do you think you're doing?" The man asked. He had a jeering scowl on his face as he looked at her. She looked away from his eyes, instead focusing on her bare feet.

"She was just looking at the Mako." Anderson responded, his voice firm. "Alex, this is our chief engineer Joe Dawson. Joe, this is—"

"Alexandra Shepard." He interrupted. "Marcus told me about our new _crewmate_." He said the word with disdain, eyes still on her. She swallowed her nerves and looked back up, meeting his eyes for a few seconds before looking back down. Anderson put his hand on her shoulder, guiding her back towards the stairwell.

"Just make sure she stays out of my way!" Dawson called out. Anderson huffed in annoyance, not bothering to respond as they went up the stairs. Before they walked out of the door David grabbed onto Alex's shoulder.

"Alex, I'm sorry about Joe." He apologized. "He's not the friendliest of people—especially where I'm concerned."

Alex looked at him, her face showing confusion.

"It's a long story." He simply explained. Alex didn't press the issue, instead following him into the second floor and to the medbay. Rita smiled at them as they entered, eyes focused on Alex.

"Come on. I think you're going to love this." She said, pulling the girl along. Alex followed eagerly, frowning slightly when Rita suddenly stopped in front of the storage doors.

"Okay, I need you to close your eyes." The doctor ordered. "No peeking."

Alex followed the directions, covering her eyes with her hands. Rita opened the door with a soft _whoosh_, giving David a knowing smirk as she led the blinded Alex into the room.  
"On three, okay?"

Alex nodded eagerly.

"One…two…three!"

Alex opened her eyes quickly, her mouth quirking up in a small smile.  
The room held a small cot with a thick mattress in the corner, complete with a thick comforter and a handful of pillows. Right next to it sat a small desk that held a nice computer, a lamp, and several books. At the foot of the bed was a small trunk—bigger than a footlocker, but not by much. It was pulled open to show several pairs of shirts, pants, and even a pair of new shoes.

"Like it?" Rita asked. "I know the bed isn't much—we couldn't get a nicer bed, but we did manage to get a pretty nice mattress and—"

Rita was cut off as Alex grabbed her in a hug. The doctor swiftly returned the hug with a soft laugh. As they did that, David glanced down to check the time.

"I've got to head up to report in." He explained, straightening his jacket. Alex, who let go of Rita, gave him a small worried look.  
"Don't worry." He gently reassured her. "I'll only be on the first floor. You need to settle in—why don't you and Rita make sure that all those clothes fit?"

At his suggestion, Alex nodded but made sure to run and give him a quick hug. He returned it and gave Rita a nod of appreciation before slipping out of the child's grasp and heading for the CIC.

"Reporting in, sir." David greeted his captain with a crisp salute. Marcus returned the act with a more lax salute and a small nod.

"Walk with me." He ordered. David did as told, walking with him to the communications room, where they would usually meet with the council and such. Upon entering, Marcus turned to him.

"I'm sorry about pushing this on you." He began. David waived it off.

"Sir, with all due respect, you don't have to apologize. I'm just happy that we could do something to help her." He explained. Marcus nodded.

"You know, I have a pair of grandkids a little younger than her." He commented. "When I saw the photos of what happened—what she went through, all I could imagine was what if it was one of them?"

"You don't have to explain anything to me." David quickly said. Marcus smirked.

"You know it's going to be hard." He said after a moment of silence. "Not only getting her settled, but helping her through this."

"Yes sir."

"But if you need anything, just tell me. I didn't throw you in this alone."

David smiled. "Thank you sir."

**Afterthoughts:**

*****On the topic of the_ Hastings_:  
According to the Wiki, the _Hastings_ is an Alliance Frigate like the _Normandy_. In the story, the _Hastings_ is built almost exactly like the ME-1 _Normandy_, except for the lack of an elevator. In its place is a stairwell on either side of each level, leading to the upper/lower level.

First off, as stated above, I apologize for the writing in this chapter. It was long, boring, and I couldn't think of any way to help it along. Hopefully the next few chapters will come easier and move more fluidly than this one did.  
Now, thank you guys so much for reading! As always, please leave a review/comment/critique because everything helps!

I have just read through _Revelation_ by Drew Karpyshyn (Great read, highly recommended) so Anderson will definitely be more in character (hopefully) and the setting will be more accurate. Also, I have just finished playing Mass Effect 3 so I will definitely have some details from there come into play.


	6. Six Weeks Later

**Chapter Six: **Six Weeks Later  
**In Which: **Alex brings changes to the _Hastings_, talks with Joe, gets fussed at by Marcus, and David has an idea.

**Disclaimers: I own nothing but Alex Shepard's personality, the plot, and some of the crew members. Everything else is owned by Bioware.**

* * *

During week one of having Alex on the _Hastings_ a routine had set in.

The day was spent in David's shadow, silently following him through the ship. This allowed her to get to know the ship as well as seeing the crew in their natural habitat. At night Alex would sit in her room for dinner, avoiding the crew.  
After that, David would sit with Alex for a while. They would talk, discussing parts of the ship that Alex had noticed or David would tell her stories of previous missions. This would last for a few hours until, right before David had to leave, and Alex would ask him a single question.

_Have you heard anything about Bailey or Seth?_

Every time she asked, David would give her the same soft look as he explained that no, they hadn't found anything that could lead them to her absent siblings. She would grow somber and lay down, falling asleep rather quickly only to wake up screaming from nightmares a few hours later.

David would stay with her thought out those first few hours, helping her through the repeating nightmares. During the few quiet hours where she was asleep, he would contemplate telling her that her siblings were probably long gone, if they were still alive at all. The council had agreed to search for the slavers, but David knew what would happen.

It was the same thing that always happened when a colony was attacked: they would "search" for a few days, putting patrolling ships on high alert. The ships wouldn't find anything, not if the slavers were smart because the slavers would have left for a remote system. After those few days passed, the council would apologize and explain that they couldn't do much because of how the colony—even if it was Mindoir—was at the edge of the Terminus systems and, therefore, out of Alliance space.

David had hated it, but he couldn't do anything to change the rules. If he argued with the council, they would brush him off and he couldn't ask Marcus to take focus off of other missions for a ship he didn't even know the name of.  
This presented an issue: whether David should tell Alex or not. He didn't want to, knowing that the idea of seeing her siblings gave her a small amount of hope, but at the same time it was cruel to have her hope for something impossible.

By week two, David still hadn't told her about her siblings and the routine had slightly started changing.

The day was now spent either with Rita, David, or Marcus. Time with David and Marcus would be spent wandering around the ship while time with Rita would sit with her and work on sign language in hopes to give her another means to communicate.

Dinner was also changed: Alex would come out and sit with the crew now, although she made it a point to sit between Rita and David. The crew would swap stories and jokes and Alex would silently listen, never responding with anything more than a small nod or smile.

Afterwards, they would continue with their normal ritual of sitting and talking. Alex would teach David the sign language she had learned that day and he would laughingly struggle with it. The two would have fun with it, finally calming down as David told her stories. She would listen as she slowly drifted to sleep, always making sure to ask about her siblings before she fell asleep. He would respond the same way, telling about how her siblings had yet to be found. She would take the news with a straight face, simply absorbing the words as she fell asleep. He was pleased to note that her nightmares had become more infrequent, now occurring every three to four hours instead of every two, but was still troubled at the thought of lying to her about her siblings.

By week three, more changes had occurred.

Alex had grown more used to the ship and the crew, now wandering the ship alone or, occasionally, pairing herself with another crew member. She still spent a few hours every day working on her signing, but much of her time was spent crawling through the vents as she explored them. It wasn't allowed-not really, but Alex was careful not to get caught.

Her comfort also came through at dinner, during which Alex would eagerly listen to the crew swapping stories and smiled more broadly at jokes. She often changed seats, venturing away from David and Rita to sit with the engineers (except Dawson) or some of the tech gurus.

Afterwards was relatively the same, though. She and David would spend time together joking about, working on signing. David had switched from telling past missions to reading aloud from different classics. Alex eagerly ate up _Sherlock Holmes_ and even enjoyed Shakespeare's works. Together they would sit on Alex's bed and slowly read through each story, up until Alex's eyes would begin to droop. At that point, David would detangle himself and sit next to the bed, still reading from the book as she slowly fell asleep. He wouldn't stay in her room for long—after the first three hours, her nightmares would diminish.

Perhaps the biggest change, though, came from what she didn't do.

For the first time in three weeks Alex didn't ask about her siblings.

David still hadn't told her about the Alliance halting all investigations, so he didn't know if she told herself to believing that the Alliance was still looking or resigned to the idea that they probably were dead.  
Both made his chest hurt and guilt fill him.

* * *

It was the middle of week six on the _Hastings_ and Alex was on her hands and knees, slowly crawling through the vents of the ship. It was around 1130 in the morning—well into David's shift. He was up in the Command Information Center if he stuck to his regular Thursday schedule, which he always did.  
That was good for Alex. If he was up in the CIC, he probably wouldn't realize that she was down in cargo, tucked into one of the side vents.

It wasn't really dangerous—the vents only pushed fresh air into the rest of the ship. At most, the worst that would happen is she fell down one of the vertical shafts and broke a limb.

But David was very protective.

Alex bit her tongue as she watched the engineering crew walk around, each focused on his or her task. She loved watching them work, even if it was from only two feet off the ground. There was a mesmerizing method to how they worked, one that Alex enjoyed to watch.  
She froze, suddenly aware of how close two of the engineers were to the vent. She consciously began to slow her breathing, trying to stay as still and silent as possible as she listened to their conversation.

"—he said to double check the Mako. Make sure the oil and—"

"I know how to take care of _my_ vehicle."

Alex nearly jumped at the sound of Joe Dawson, barely able to stop herself. She rarely saw the mechanic due to him being on the other side of the room. Curious, she leaned forward, staring out to where he and a senior engineer talked.

"It's not _your_ vehicle. It's the Alliance's tank. Just make sure it's operational by the drop day or else Anderson is going to hang us." The first voice said. Alex could see Dawson cross his arms in irritation.

"Let him try." There was a sneer in his voice that made Alex's blood boil. Before she could do anything, though, the first voice spoke.

"He won't just 'try'—he _will_ get you court marshaled or worse."

Dawson scoffed as the two continued walking. Alex waited only a few moments before she decided to squeeze out of the vent, pushing the cover off carefully and dropping out. She quickly pushed the cover back on and turned only to feel a firm hand on her arm. She jumped, automatically jerking it back to try and get away only to see Dawson standing over her.

He let go of her arm, but still scowled down at her.

"Doesn't Anderson have you on some sort of leash?" He grunted out. Alex didn't meet his eyes, still too shy for that. Instead she frowned and glanced around, noting no one else in the area.

"They all went on break." Dawson answered. "Now answer my question."

Alex still didn't speak, but she did shake her head in response.

He frowned. "Still not speakin', huh? Well, what were you doin' in the vents?"

This time Alex was able to look up at him, annoyance on her face. She just said that she wasn't able to speak and he goes and asks her another question.

"I bet Anderson wouldn't like that you were in there." He muttered. The threat slightly fazed her: although she knew Anderson would be angry with her, she wondered if he would have the same reaction if it was Joe who told him.

"But I won't tell him."

At that, Alex was slightly shocked. Joe wasn't going to turn her in?

"But you owe me." He added. She was still weary, her eyes untrusting. "Look, I don't like the man at all and I don't care what you do as long as you stay out of my way and away from _my _truck."

She took in a deep breath, nodding slowly. Dawson stepped away, going back to the Mako.

Alex went to leave and head up stairs, but stopped and pulled out her notebook, pulling out a blank page and scribbling down a question on it. Taking a deep breath, she went over to where Joe lay under the Mako and tapped his leg. He pulled himself out from under the tank, his frown etched deep into his face.

"I thought I said to leave me alone." He growled. Alex handed over the page.

_Why don't you like David?_

Dawson shoved the page back to her and pulled himself under the Mako again.

"It's a long story."

Alex sat down next to the tools, peeking at him under the tank. He sighed, putting a hand out.

"If you're gonna be annoying at least try and be helpful." He ordered. "Hand me the Channel Locks."

Alex paused, looking over the many tools that lay in front of her. She randomly picked up a wrench and handed it over, only to have him toss it back into the pile with a grunt.  
"That's not a Channel Lock." He said. Alex began to write that she had never heard of a 'Channel Lock' but he interrupted her.

"It looks like a pair of adjustable pliers." He said. "Light blue grips."

Alex located the tools and handed them over quickly.

"Finally." Dawson grunted.

Alex quickly wrote down another question and handed the paper over, but Dawson refused to take it.

"I'm busy."

She huffed and waited until he set the Channel Locks down, shoving the paper into his hands.

_What's the story between you and David?_

Dawson crumpled the paper up, tossing it away.

"Why don't you ask him?"

Alex pulled out another sheet of paper, writing down the answer.

_I have. He said that it was a long story and he was busy._

"And I'm not?"

_You can still talk while you work._

Dawson frowned, holding out his hand. "Wrench." He ordered. Alex complied and he continued working.

"Anderson and I have always hated each other. He's a kiss-ass. I don't like kiss-asses. Simple as that."

Alex frowned and handed him her response as he laid down the wrench.

_That's not a long story._

"No, but that's what you're getting right now."

Alex admitted defeat as her watch beeped. A single glance at it told her that she was running late, having spent nearly an hour down in cargo, and made her jump up and jog towards the stairs.

"Oh, and Shepard."

She paused and turned to look at Dawson, who was sitting up again. He fixed her with a hard stare and a deep scowl.

"If I find you in those vents again, you're gonna feel how hard a wrench can hit."

Alex nodded, darting through the doors with little doubt that Joe was lying. She made a quick mental note to avoid the cargo vents for at least a week, hoping that would give the mechanic time to calm down.

As she reached the second level of the _Hastings_, she wondered briefly if she would be able to skirt by the medbay without Rita becoming aware of her. That through vanished, however, at the sight of Rita standing at the front of the stair doors, her arms crossed.

"Alex! There you are!" She said in lieu of greetings. Alex gave her a tight-lipped smile and a half-hearted shrug.  
"Aw, come on Al. You know you can't get out of this."

The thing about Doctor Dorita Arroyo was that, no matter how much she denied it, she was a softie. Alex had figured this out during week three when she noticed how Dorita never refused her request. At first Alex had never used it to her advantage—after all, there was no need. She loved being on the ship and there wasn't anything that she was being forced to do.  
During week four that changed. Rita told her of how the Alliance wanted Alex's medical checkups every two weeks—including blood work. Alex hated needles and the process of having blood drawn, so she decided to try and weasel her way out of it.

She gave Rita her biggest, saddest eyes, working her mouth into a small frown. Rita shifted, obviously trying to fight the urge to say yes to Alex's nonverbal request.

"Alex…" She muttered. Alex slouched, looking at the ground dejectedly. There was a small sigh.  
"I guess we can—"

"Head straight to medbay and get that test done."

Both the child and the doctor jumped at the sound of a firm voice to their right. They turned, surprised to see the captain smiling at them. Alex inwardly groaned.  
With Rita she could have gotten out of the checkup. With David she might have managed it. But Lionel Marcus was immune to her big eyes and pouted lips.

"Aye, aye captain." Rita responded, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Come on Alex." Rita had already started to briskly walk away while Alex dragged her feet. Marcus chuckled behind her.

"March young lady." He ordered. Alex shot him a glance, purposefully bringing her knees up high and stomping her feet as she marched towards the medbay. This caused Marcus to laugh, which caused her to grin a little.

He followed her into the medbay, where she stopped marching and walked over to the table, hopping on it swiftly. Marcus took the seat next to her, watching as she squirmed under Rita's scans.  
The first portion of the checkup lasted around ten minutes, during which Rita would poke and prod various parts of Alex's body as the younger girl tried to stay as still as possible.

"Eyes are healthy…Ears seem to hold no damage." The doctor muttered as she prodded around both of the body parts. The younger girl grimaced, trying not to flinch away.

"Reflexes are…" There was a tap on her knee and Alex kicked out automatically, "good. Reflexes are good. Can you open your mouth please?"

Alex obliged and Rita checked her throat, making several notes on a datapad as she looked.  
"Alright, now I need you to do these problems." She said, handing over another datapad. Alex took it slowly.  
The problems were simple, mainly consisting of scenarios where common sense was needed but also having basic math problems. Rita had told Alex that it was to help tell how her brain worked, showing how she thought. Alex honestly didn't care, simply answering the questions as quickly as she could. She reluctantly handed it back over after she finished, dreading the next part.

Rita gave her a pitiful look. "Alright Alex, now we have to take some blood."

The girl squirmed in her seat, reluctantly giving Rita her arm. The doctor pulled on a pair of gloves and took her wrist, checking her pulse before pulling out a small box. From it she pulled out a small wet napkin that she used to clean up Alex's elbow.

"Alright Alex. Ready?"

Alex looked away, grimacing at the knowledge of what would happen. The first time this had happened Alex had made the mistake of watching, so she knew how big the needle was. Now, she tried to focus on something else. Marcus grabbed her hand.

"Miss Shepard, look at me."

She met the captain's eyes grinning at the silly face he had made. He contorted his face into another expression which caused her to laugh. She responded with her own silly face but dropped into a grimace at the slight pinch of pain as the needle went into her arm. Marcus quickly puffed out his cheeks and crossed his eyes, making Alex giggle again. The two of them continued until Alex felt the familiar tug as the needle was pulled from her arm, followed by pressure as Rita pressed a cotton ball against the point.

"Very good Alex." Rita applauded, taking the cotton ball off and covering it with a band aid. She went to her desk to upload the information, allowing Alex and Marcus to critique the wound.

"See, it wasn't bad at all." Marcus said. Alex nodded in agreement and he fixed her with a hard stare.  
"Now Miss Shepard, I don't want to hear about you convincing Rita to push off your next exam."

Alex feigned innocence.

"I'm serious Shepard." He said, dropping the 'miss' for the first time since Alex had met him. "You don't need to weasel out of things you don't want to do. Face them with your head held high—even if you're a little scared. Understand?" He explained. Alex paused and slowly nodded.

"Good." He smiled at her again, ruffling up her lengthening hair. She gave a half-hearted attempt to duck away, noticing that they were being watched.

David stood in the doorway, having come in right as Rita first inserted the needle. He had initially dropped by to help with the last part, fully aware of the issues Alex had with needles, but had simply decided to observe her and Marcus interacting. He walked up as Alex spotted him, a wide grin on his face.

"Everything went well?" He asked. Alex nodded, showing him the band aid.  
"Good." He commented. He glanced to the Captain. "Mind if I talk with you, sir?" He inquired. The Captain stood, making sure to give Alex's hair another quick rub. She laughed, the sound following the two officers as they walked out the door.

"What did you want to talk about?" Marcus asked. David glanced back to make sure that his adopted daughter hadn't snuck after them before speaking.

"Sir, I have an idea…"

* * *

**Notes:  
**Thank you guys so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Please, don't be afraid to comment/critique.  
This chapter was a bit longer than anticipated, but I didn't feel the need to cut it apart. I promise, David's 'idea' is the basis for the next chapter so you will see that. His history with Joe Dawson will also come into play pretty soon.

—Andi

PS: If you have two messages about this chapter going up, my apologies. There was an issue with uploads and I had to re-upload it.


	7. Surprise!

**Chapter Seven: **Surprise!**  
In Which: **David Anderson shows his knack for very good plans, Alex almost reaches insanity, and life seems good…for a moment.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, its characters, or any locations mentioned in this series. They are under Bioware's command. I do, however, control the plot and Alex Shepard's personality.**

* * *

David Anderson had a knack for making very good plans—that was what made him such a great commander, especially on the field. Yet even Marcus wondered whether his XO was losing his touch with the idea that he had launched after they left Alex with Rita.

"I don't know, Anderson." Marcus muttered, his eyes dark in thought. "This is big—even for you. There's a lot we need to get done."

"We can do it, sir." Anderson urged. He was confident in his plan: he had thought out everything they needed to do and everything they would need to get. The only thing he didn't plan on was his captain's hesitation.

But Marcus didn't hesitate for long. He nodded after only a few moments.

"Alright, let's do it."

David let out the breath that he had been holding.  
"But we can't let Alex know. It's got to be a surprise." He said. Marcus nodded in agreement.

"Alright. I'll let the crew know."

"Aye, aye captain." David replied as Marcus began to walk away. "Oh, and sir?"

"Yes Anderson?"

"Thank you."

Marcus didn't respond, but he didn't have to. David knew his commander had heard him.  
Now alone and satisfied with having put the plan into motion, David continued his routine check of the ship, looking forward to the end of his shift.

Meanwhile, Alex still sat in the same spot on the medbay cot. She knew that she wouldn't see David or Marcus until they got off of their shifts in a few hours, but part of her hoped that David would walk back in. He had intrigued her when he pulled Marcus away and now her curiosity was burning. She had attempted to follow them only to have Rita pull her back and fuss at her, telling her that she didn't need to intrude on them. Alex had relented, retaking her seat on the cot.

"Alright Alex," Rita scooted her chair in front of the girl, "ready?"

Alex nodded.

It was a common ritual for them, spending an hour of free time where they would practice their signing. Alex had learned it relatively quickly, thankful to have more than just an hour where she could practice and look up helpful videos. She knew how to sign the alphabet, colors, and several phrases. Rita, on the other hand, was having issues reading some of the signs.  
So they would sit together and Rita would say a word or phrase and Alex would sign it for her. It started off simple: Rita spoke a small greeting of "How are you doing today?" and Alex replied with a quick _I am okay._

Time passed quickly when they did this, both of them caught up in the game they had made. Rita soon found that she had to return to work—she still had quite a few forms to fill concerning Alex—which meant that Alex was back to wandering the ship.

The girl took only a few moments to decide was she wanted to do before heading back to her room. At her desk sat several sheets of paper that Rita had given her, along with a box of coloring pencils.

Alex sat down, eager to continue her work. Rita had suggested that she draw out what she was going through and Alex had agreed, planning on making it into a book for her new guardian. It was a sort of 'thank you' to David for taking her in, along with a way for her to cope with the sudden changes she was experiencing.

Currently Alex was on the third page, which told of her interview by the Council. At that memory, her stomach flipped and she felt slightly sick. She knew that they were just trying to help, but she still nursed a small hatred for those few adults. David had said it was because they were politicians and that all politicians sucked. If that was true, then Alex hoped that she never had to deal with a politician again.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts, returning to her work.

By four in the afternoon she had set her project aside in favor of reading delving into the midst of Shakespeare's _Hamlet_. David had introduced her to the classical writer and she had become a fan of his works, especially fond of the foolish characters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. She was so involved with the story that she had not noticed David until she felt him sit down on her bedside.

"Still reading _Hamlet_?" He asked. He knew her love for Shakespeare, although he was a little perturbed by the thought of her reading a tragedy so young.  
Alex nodded, setting the book aside and sitting up to face him more.

_How was your shift?_

He watched her hands carefully, still having issues with sign language. She had to sign it a second time before he was able to answer.

"It was good. Boring, but that's a good sign." He explained. "Alex, can I ask you a question?"

She paused, staring hard at him, but slowly nodded.

"Is there anything you want? We're supposed to make a stop to refuel soon, so I figured we could pick it up before we leave."

Alex shook her head like David had figured she would.

_No, thank you though._

"Are you sure?" He asked. When Alex nodded he leaned back.

"So, what part are you at?"

_Hamlet's acting like a madman to try and fool his uncle._

"That's always fun." David replied, making Alex smirk. The two fell into their usual talks about the book, the ship, and how their day went until Rita alerted them to dinner.

That was when Alex first noticed something odd.

The crew members, who usually spoke and joked loudly around her, were unusually silent. They would speak but their words were softer and slower, more carefully chosen. Alex gazed around at them, slowly eating her meal while trying to figure out what was wrong.  
As most of the crew finished and left, she turned to David.

_What's wrong with the crew?_

David seemed surprised by her inquiry, slowly setting down his fork.

"What do you mean?"

_They aren't talking or joking._

"Oh. Well…it's just been a long day for them." He explained. Alex accepted the explanation, although she still seemed skeptical.

As the days passed, Alex noticed more and more anomalies with the crew members. They were avoiding her more and would go silent if they spotted her.

At first Alex had tried to ignore it. Then she thought to crawl through the vents, but realized that she probably wouldn't be able to hear that well and would be lucky to hear anything concerning the crew's odd antics.  
On day four they had stopped to refuel and, for the first time, David had quarantined her to her room.

It wasn't because she was being punished—he made sure that she was aware of that, explaining that they were having a crew come on to do a quick inspection and it would be best if she stayed in her room. She had been irritated but didn't argue, having far too much respect for David to do that. Instead she sulked in her room, immersing herself into _Hamlet_ until David came in and announced that they were done and she was freed from her room.

Alex immediately began walking around the ship, making her way down to the cargo hold. She had taken to tagging along with Joe, who had ignored her long before the crew started.  
As she walked through the door and entered the hold, Joe noticed her immediately. He gave a small glare at her before turning back to the Hammerhead shuttle. He was under the hood of the vehicle to work on the engine as Alex walked up and sat on a nearby box.

"Get off of that." He ordered. Alex obliged, slipping off of the box and onto the floor. She quickly opened her notebook and scribbled down a question that she constantly asked him, handing it over.

_Why is everyone acting so weird_?

Joe didn't even glance at it, crumpling it up and tossing it at her.

"Ask Anderson." He replied, knowing that Alex already had.  
She frowned, un-crumpling the paper and writing down another question.

_What happened while we were refueling?_

"We refueled." Joe answered. "Look, brat, I don't have time to play twenty-questions with you. Why don't you go ask Anderson if you need to know so bad?"

_He won't tell me anything. _

"Well then you probably shouldn't know it. Now leave me alone brat."

Alex allowed him to work but didn't leave his side. Although she disliked his nicknaming her as "Brat", she enjoyed how he was straight with her. He didn't act like she was made of fragile glass and made it very plain that as long as she stayed out of his way she was allowed to sit near him.

But that didn't mean he was her friend and it didn't mean that he would tell her what was going on with the crew.

Alex gave out a huff and stood up to leave, frowning at Joe's chuckle at her frustration.

At the end of day four Alex was nearly insane with curiosity. By then Rita and Marcus had both started to act weird, with Rita constantly giving her wide smiles and glances while Marcus simply smirked at her. It was frustrating to the point that Alex had locked herself in her room in an attempt to ignore everything.

The plan worked for a while. She worked on signing and on David's surprise, but was interrupted by David telling her it was time for dinner. The girl considered skipping, but her growling stomach banished that idea almost immediately. So she went to the table, where Bill had served her some food that she vaguely recognized. She focused on the meal, trying to ignore the constant glances that were sent her way.  
In what felt like an eternity, she finally was full and quickly put away her plate, darting back to her room and getting ready for bed. After a few minutes David walked in.

"Hey Alex." He greeted. She stared hard at him, wanting to convey how annoyed she was at the moment. He gave her a smile in response.

"I know, I know." He took his usual seat on her bed. "You're pretty bummed right now."

Alex didn't break eye contact with him and he grimaced.

"I guess I deserve this, huh?"

She nodded.

"Well, what if I told you that tomorrow you'd find out what's been going on?"

David had never seen such a skeptical look on such a young kid. It would have been amusing had he not been feeling slight guilt for lying to her for so long.

_Promise?_ She signed, before holding up her pinky.

David latched onto it with his own.  
"Promise."

Alex smirked, losing her angry glare and gently shoving his shoulder as they went back to their usual night habit of relaxing together.

As it grew late David bid his goodnights and reaffirmed his promise that, yes, he would tell Alex what was going on tomorrow but she needed to get to sleep right now. She was quick to change and lay down, her mind wondering what would happen in the coming day.

* * *

The next day came early for David, who was up at his usual time of five-thirty. Like always he dressed in his black shirt, pulling on his uniform jacket over it. But that's when he drifted from the usual routine.  
Instead of heading straight up to the Combat Information Center he went to the mess hall where some of the crew was working. Marcus, who had been watching over everything, handed control to him and left to make some rounds before they decided to bring Alex in.

Decorating took only a few hours and soon—around eight—Marcus came back down and agreed that they were ready.

David was excited. It wasn't often that he found himself this excited—especially considering the trivial matter it was for. But this wasn't just another day and this wasn't just for the crew or him. This was for Alex Shepard.

This was for his daughter.

It was still a little breathtaking to think that he had a kid to take care of and made a quick mental note to go over some of the tips his parents had sent after he messaged them about the adoption. They had been ecstatic about it, of course, and he promised them that he would bring her by whenever they stopped on Earth.

He felt himself lose his train of thought as he walked into Shepard's room. The girl was still fast asleep, which allowed David the first glimpse of her in a peaceful dream. With a slight reluctance, he reached forward and gently shook her shoulder.

She jumped, slowly sitting up. David was amused to see that she was wearing his N7 sweatshirt from her first day on the _Hastings_, although it was still too large for her. It covered her hands as she wiped her eyes of sleep, peering at David curiously.

"Alex, come on. I have a surprise for you."

She slowly stood, waving back and forth on her feet as she yawned. David nearly laughed at how she looked—her hair, which was starting to develop a curl, was sticking up everywhere and the sweatshirt still hung to her knees.

"Alright, you have to close your eyes."

Alex looked surprised at the order but allowed her eyes to slowly close, covering them with her hands. David went behind her and held her shoulders, guiding her slowly and carefully through her door and medbay. At the medbay doors he paused only for a moment to cover her hands with his own.

"I'm making sure you're not peeking!" He was quick to explain. She huffed, but didn't fight it as he led her out to the mess hall.

Alex was tense, ears alert for any sort of clue as to what was happening. She could hear soft chuckles, followed by quiet shushing.

"Three…"

David's voice was soft behind her as he slowly counted it down. She could hear her heart pounding as she grew excited.

"Two…"

She bit her lip, hearing a few people whispering quietly.

"One!"

David's hands moved from her eyes and she opened them as fast as possible, surprised to see multiple crew members standing in a small group.

"Merry Christmas Alex!" They cheered.

Alex looked around the hall in shock. It had been renovated, now holding paper chains, lights, and paper snowflakes. Her eyes drifted from the smiling faces of the crew to David.

"Merry Christmas, kiddo." He said, urging her forward. She stumbled towards the crew, still awestruck by the gesture. Her mouth formed words such as 'wow' and 'why', but she never made a sound.  
Marcus smiled, explaining everything to her.

"David wanted to do something special for your first Christmas with the crew and we were more than happy to oblige him."

Alex looked at David again, beaming. The man walked up and sat down, inviting her to a seat at the table.

"Now, you get the honor of opening the first present." Marcus explained, setting a small present in front of her. Alex hesitated, eyes growing wide as she tried to convey her lack of presents for them.

Marcus placed his hand on her shoulder. "Miss Shepard, it is Christmas—you don't have to give us anything. Now, come on and open it up." He ordered with a small laugh. Alex still seemed hesitant, glancing at David. The commander nodded in encouragement, so Alex slowly began pulling the wrapping paper open.

She was surprised to find an unmarked box, which she quickly opened to find a small stuffed dog.  
She carefully pulled it out of the box, not noticing David pick it up and toss it aside as she looked over the small toy. It was a light tan with a pair of floppy brown ears, small button eyes, and covered with a very soft fabric.

"I know it's a little old fashioned." Marcus said slowly. "But I figured–"

He was cut off as Alex hugged him, before letting go and quickly signing something to David, who translated it for his captain.

"She loves it."

Marcus smiled, standing from the table.

"Well, I'm very happy that you like it Miss Shepard." He responded. "But I have to get back on the watch. Merry Christmas everyone." They bid him goodbye and Alex waved as he left, her new dog on her lap.

The celebration continued after he left, with the crew starting to exchange presents within themselves. Alex got a small screwdriver set from the engineers, while the technicians gave her a video game. Rita had given Alex a book, the title stating _Harry Potter _in a bold label.

"This is a classic–not the old stuff David's been having you read, no. This is more twenty-first century and one that my parents used to read to me when I was your age." She explained. "There's an entire series, seven books in total plus movie adaptations, but I figured we could start with the first one."

Alex had loved the idea and thanked everyone profusely.

David had watched with a grin, taking in the cheer that was effecting the entire crew: everyone was laughing, smiling, and exchanging presents back and forth. As time passed a few crewmembers left to attend to their shift while others, who had just finished their time, joined them.

He was watching Alex in particular though. He had been unsure about having a celebration so soon after Mindoir's attack–it was nearing two months–but, as he watched her laugh he felt that worry go away.

He was pulled from his thoughts as he felt something on his arm. Looking down he met Alex's slightly confused eyes. Her hands were slowly moving.

_You okay?_

"Yeah, I'm fine." He replied. She smiled, her hands going a bit faster now.

_Merry Christmas David._

"Merry Christmas Alex." He responded.

It seemed like everything was actually going well for them now.

So of course the alarms would suddenly ring out.

* * *

**Notes:  
**I hope that you all enjoyed! I know this is a kind of long and drawn out chapter, but I promise that the next chapter will hold more action.  
Another big thing is that recently school has really started to get intense so there might be more time between each chapter or some chapters might be shorter than others. I'll try to keep them coming at least once a week, but, sadly, college takes priority.  
–Andi


End file.
